Data processing systems are widely used in many applications. Data processing systems range from personal computers to workstations, minicomputers, mainframe computers and supercomputers. As used herein, data processing systems also include electronic systems which contain a data processing system embedded therein. For example, a data processing system includes the 50 megabyte per second Terminal Multiplexer (TM-50) marketed by Alcatel Network Systems, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., which is used as multiplexer in a synchronous optical telecommunications network (SONET).
A data processing system typically includes both equipment and documentation. The equipment includes hardware elements and software elements which run on the hardware elements to provide the system functionality. The software elements are classified as system software such as an operating system, and application software such as network controller software. The user interfaces to the equipment via an electronic user interface on a display such as a cathode ray tube (CRT). The electronic user interface includes menus, windows, icons, or other well known graphical elements which allow a user to efficiently interface with the system.
The documentation is human readable, written or pictorial information related to the design, construction, testing, maintenance, and operation of the equipment. As is well known to those having skill in the art, documentation may be provided in one or more manuals or may be provided as online documentation which can be searched and accessed electronically. For a complex data processing system, documentation typically includes one or more, and often all, of the following:
(1) System Description Document: This document describes the system and its operational capabilities.
(2) Application Guide: This document describes applications of this equipment to provide service.
(3) Ordering Guide: This document specifies how to order new equipment, additional capacity or replacement parts for the system.
(4) Installation Procedures: This document illustrates step-by-step procedures for installing the equipment and/or making modifications thereto.
(5) Turn-Up Procedures: This document describes the step-by-step procedures for bringing-up the equipment after installing and initializing the equipment.
(6) Administration: This document provides step-by-step procedures for operating and modifying the system after installation and turn-up.
(7) Troubleshooting: This document provides procedures for diagnosing problems.
(8) Commands and Messages: This document provides a complete listing of all commands and messages which are used by the equipment. Other documentation may also be provided.
For a simple data processing system, this documentation set may be included as chapters in an owner's manual. However, for a more complicated system, such as the above described SONET system, the documentation set may be provided by eight or more large manuals. Alternatively, online documentation may be provided.
Whether provided on paper or online, the user interfaces with the documentation by accessing the relevant manual or portion thereof. Unfortunately, as data processing systems become increasingly complex, it becomes more difficult to thoroughly understand and efficiently use such massive documentation. Moreover, the user interface to the documentation, whether manual or online, is separate and distinct from the user interface to the equipment. Accordingly, the user is forced to deal with two separate interfaces to access the full functionality of the data processing system.
Online documentation has attempted to simplify user access to documentation. However, the online documentation typically substitutes a new electronic user interface for a paper user interface, and does little to integrate the documentation to the equipment functionality. It is also known to provide "multimedia" systems, which allow documentation to include animation and other multimedia aspects. For example, the Mnemos-I.TM. portable graphics workstation and Hyperpage.TM. retrieval software/publishing system marketed by Image Storage/Retrieval Systems, Inc., West Trenton, N.J. are document delivery systems which provide for interactive documentation production and use. Yet again, however, the user must access the documentation from a separate user interface from that of the equipment.
Expert systems have also been used in an attempt to simplify equipment diagnostics. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,649,515 to Thompson et al. entitled Methods and Apparatus For System Fault Diagnostic and Control; 4,817,092 to Denny entitled Threshold Alarms for Processing Errors in a Multiplex Communications System; 4,873,687 to Breu entitled Failing Resource Manager in a Multiplex Communication System; and 4,881,230 to Clark et al. entitled Expert System for Processing Errors in a Multiplex Communications System. Again, however, these expert systems are separate and distinct from the documentation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,972 to Brooks et al. describes a data processing system including online documentation which resides in a number of help modules. Online information is built from a source document by analyzing tags in the document to construct modules in the help objects, and tables to specify and link user input words to route words and topics associated with the modules. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,485 to Ackroff et al. describes a data processing system having an online documentation facility in which users of the system are provided with the capability of defining "user specific" documentation for a particular documentation command by specifying modifications to be made to the "system documentation" for that command. Although these patents attempt to simplify the user interface to documentation, greater simplification is necessary as the complexity of data processing systems increases.